Grenfell Tower victim toll stands at 71

The police believe that all those who died in the fire have now been recovered

The total number of the Grenfell Tower fire victims stands at 71, as police identify the final two victims, Victoria King, 71 and her daughter Alexandra Atala, 40.

“We were devastated to hear of our sister Vicky’s fate and that of her daughter, Alexandra, in the Grenfell Tower tragedy,” their relatives said in a statement.

The police believe that all those who died have now been recovered.

The number of victims includes 70 people who died in the fire, and a baby who was stillborn afterwards.

The Metropolitan Police Commander Stuart Cundy said that the MET was providing "every support we can" to the bereaved.

"I have been clear from the start that a priority for us was recovering all those who died, and identifying and returning them to their families,” he said. "Specialist teams working inside Grenfell Tower and the mortuary have pushed the boundaries of what was scientifically possible to identify people.”

"I know that each and every member of the team has done absolutely all they can to make this possible."

When the incident happened in June, the Met had a list of 400 missing people. This included a number of victims reported more than once under different names or spellings.

“Even the slightest differences in spellings had to be thoroughly investigated and reconciled. Until that process was complete, those people continued to be regarded as missing,” the force said.

The investigation to locate all those reported missing was only concluded in the last few weeks, the Met said.

The original list of missing people also included a high number of fraudulent cases, with individuals trying to benefit from the tragedy. Earlier this month, a man pleaded guilty to fraud after claiming that his wife and son had died in the fire.

Although the final stage of the search operation is to conclude early in December, the Met said that “based on all the work carried out so far and the expert advice, it is highly unlikely there is anyone who remains inside Grenfell Tower".

Specially trained officers from the Met, City of London Police and British Transport Police have been involved in the search and recovery operation, with each flat and all the communal areas of the building having been checked. Officers have examined 15.5 tonnes of debris from each floor, supported by forensic anthropologists, archaeologists and forensic dentists.

Scotland Yard had initially said it thought the final death toll would be at around 80, but revised that estimate down in September.

The Met police said the tragedy “should never have happened”.

A criminal inquiry is being conducted, with “reasonable grounds” to suspect Kensington and Chelsea council and the organisation that managed the tower block of corporate manslaughter.

Members of 320 households affected by the fire are still living in hotel accommodation, including more than 200 children from the tower and its neighbouring blocks.